Cordura Covering Question (Bumpers)

[Iceman1330]

Hey everyone!

Im from team 2523 out of Northeast VT,

Our team instructor is insisting we have "hand holds" on the side of our robot, therefore our bumpers on the sides are really 3 discreet pieces of pool noodle covered only around the vertical axis by cordura.

To describe the cordura here's some ASCII

CUTAWAY(No cordura covering the sides, just wrapped around the noodles)

||--.
||[]|
||[]|
||--'
The two squares are the noodles.

SIDE (Cordura only covering the two noodles in the up/down fashion)
----------------------------
|0000| |00000| |0000|
----------------------------
0=Noodle
|000|= noodle cordura section
The sections in between are exposed plywood.

These side pieces are 36" long. (the size of the plywood backing)

We were wondering if these are legal.

Thanks!

[ChrisMcK2186]

I would venture to say they are not legal.

Handholds on the bot are nice but bumpers are required and the only acceptable design for standard bumpers is the one FIRST displays in the manual, a point my team refuses to grasp. That means the bumpers must be covered completely with the fabric. Depending on how large your bot is, the plywood might also extend into the bumper zone, especially if you built it to maximum or just shy of max dimensions.

They must also cover 2/3 of the perimeter of the bot, which your design is looking "iffy" on.

I say go with the design FIRST gave us, and either put the handholds inside the frame or go without. It is not worth the risk of inspectors failing your bot b/c an instructor thinks it is nice to carry around the bot. Thats what the cart is for.

Chris McKenzie
2186

[iwashere1990]

as quoted from FIRST

"Lightening pockets or other modifications to the bumper design provided in Rule <R08> are not permitted."

we had to remake our bumpers from last year because we have "pockets", but they passed last year?

Good Luck

[lukevanoort]

Originally Posted by iwashere1990

as quoted from FIRST



we had to remake our bumpers from last year because we have "pockets", but they passed last year?

Good Luck

You can't use previous year's bumpers in the first place (see here), so you have to remake them anyway.

[drewpybeitzel]

bumpers are for triangles

[ChrisMcK2186]

Originally Posted by drewpybeitzel

bumpers are for triangles

what?

[drewpybeitzel]

Originally Posted by ChrisMcK2186

what?

squares... sorry

[Tristan Lall]

Originally Posted by drewpybeitzel

squares... sorry

What?

[drewpybeitzel]

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

What?

The nice man tickled me